Edward Snowden 'Probably' Not a Russian Spy, New NSA Chief Says

The new head of the National Security Agency said Tuesday he doesn't believe former NSA contractor Edward Snowden is or was a Russian spy.

Adm. Michael Rogers, who became head of the U.S.'s spy infrastructure in April, said at a cybersecurity event organized by Bloomberg Government that while he believed it was "wrong" and "illegal" for Snowden to have leaked thousands of classified documents, he appeared to be doing what he sincerely thought was right.

Asked whether he thought Snowden was or is working for the FSB, the Russian security service, Rogers said: "Could he have? Possibly. Do I believe that that's the case? Probably not."

But Alexander's assessment is shared by Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, who also accused Snowden of working with Russian intelligence in January in a joint interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" with Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein, D-California.

"There's a reason he ended up in the hands, the loving arms, of an FSB agent in Moscow," Mike Rogers said then. "I don't think that's a coincidence."